Dentists: Encouraging Children's Oral Health

Mar 1
09:39

2011

Andrea Avery

Andrea Avery

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One of the most important jobs that dentists have is encouraging children with their oral health care. Parents are the day to day people that look to help kids take care of their mouth, teeth, and gums. They teach them good habits that need to done daily and they also make sure to monitor that these things are happening.

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However at each appointment there is one person that can make all the difference in how kids view their teeth,Dentists: Encouraging Children's Oral Health Articles the process of taking care of them and the responsibility they should take on.

Going to Appointments

Taking a child to the dentists' office is one of the first steps in teaching them the seriousness of taking care of their teeth. When you take your child in, they see that it is important to you and you set the example for them. On the way there, talk about it positively and make sure that they see it as something you value. Remember that you are setting a precedent for them.

Talking With the Dentists

Kids see dentists as an authority figure. When they go to an appointment and talk with him, the importance of oral health is reiterated. If you have the choice in the person that you see, make sure that you choose someone that will sit down and talk to your child about all of the different things that he needs to do. You want someone that genuinely cares as children can tell when a person is brushing them off or not really listening to them.

Encourage your child to think about the appointment and maybe come up with a list of questions to ask one of the dentists. They can ask about things that are happening with their baby teeth, things that are going to happen in the future with their teeth and gums or even about the Tooth Fairy. No matter what, the conversation shows a child that this is a person that they can trust and someone that is looking out for their well-being.

The Extras

Most kids love to walk away from any appointment with extras. For some reason when dentists hand over a new toothbrush and a sticker to kids, they automatically associate the appointment with something good. They think that getting a toothbrush is a present or a treat and believe that this is something special. This is another great way to get kids to believe in taking care of their smiles. While a sticker won't last long and the toothbrush will need replacing, they will be able to see the next toothbrush as another treat; something important that they are going to be able use.

For kids, independence is important. When they are younger they need help brushing and will probably not be capable of flossing or rinsing on their own. However, when someone takes the time to demonstrate these skills and then give a child an opportunity to try it or practice it, they gain a sense of personal independence.

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